This application is a continuation in part of my previously filed co-pending application Ser. No. 256,058 filed Apr. 21, 1981.
In the electrical energy industry various quantitative measurements are needed and are traditionally obtained from a variety of different devices. Each device is designed and contructed to meter a particular quantity. For example, the historic Ferraris rotating meter was used in a variety of forms to measure real or reactive energy and with uniquely designed attachments measures the rate and power demand quantities. Electronic kilowatt and kilovar transducers when coupled with circuitry for integrating with respect to time are also used for these purposes.
With conventional technology, a power company orders and installs those devices or transducers which provide the quantities which are desired. Some manufacturers have combined more than one type of transducer into an aggregation of such devices in a single piece of equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,737 shows two different transducers combined in a circuit which converts each of their analog outputs to digital form and then processes, stores, communicates and displays the processed data.
Prior art analog/digital conversion techniques include the sampling of a periodic analog signal such as an audio signal in a communication system.
We have found that one of the major difficulties which is experienced in attempting to apply sampling techniques to electricity metering is in obtaining metered quantities with the high accuracy which is needed for revenue metering.